President Trump’s daily White House coronavirus briefings are a ratings hit.
The president, who has taken the lead in the task force’s daily updates to the nation, has attracted an average audience of about 8.5 million viewers on cable news — about the number of viewers who watched the season finale of “The Bachelor,” The New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing Nielsen numbers.
And as the outbreak continues to surge across the country and more Americans abide by shelter-in-place orders in a number of states, the viewership is increasing.
Monday’s briefing drew 12.2 million people on CNN, MSNBC and Fox News, ratings similar to those of “Monday Night Football.”
Fox News has benefited from the briefings, with the cable network attracting 6.2 million viewers on Monday, numbers on par with popular prime-time shows.
The newspaper said millions more are watching on the traditional networks — ABC, CBS and NBC, as well as online — but they offer less reliable numbers than the cable stations because of the way Nielsen ratings are measured.
New York’s Gov. Andrew Cuomo has also grabbed the spotlight with his daily updates about the coronavirus in the Empire State, but comparison ratings numbers were not available.
Trump initially held the COVID-19 briefings from the Oval Office and in the Rose Garden but permanently moved them inside the White House on March 14.
Vice President Mike Pence, who heads up the White House task force, once began the briefings, but the president soon began making announcements at the outset and fielding questions from reporters.
While Cuomo typically holds his in late morning, Trump schedules his in the White House briefing room for around 5 p.m. and they routinely bleed into the 6 o’clock hour or later.
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